Is this the dawn of a new era at Latics?

Chronicle writer Mark Rooney provided lots of magnificent coverage and pictures from Wembley Stadium at the weekend as Latics dramatically triumphed 3-2 against Southend in the National League play-off final.

The victory for Micky Mellon's side sealed a superb return to the Football League in front of more than 50,000 fans, and so now, after a few days' reflection, Mark looks in depth at just what the Wembley success could mean for the club as they move forward to a hopefully much brighter future.

Let's take a look at Mark's considerations following what has been an incredible few days for both Latics, and the town of Oldham:

"I think back to April 13, 1994 when I was sitting behind the goal at Wembley having gone as a supporter with my dad to watch Latics’ FA Cup semifinal against Manchester United.

My brother Paul (who has been watching them since 1964) was broadcasting from the press box.

There was one minute to go in extra time and Oldham were winning 1-0.

I was dreaming of going to the FA Cup final itself with my dad, singing Abide with Me and enjoying all the pomp and circumstance that went with it.

Out of nowhere a Mark Hughes volley took the game to a replay and that dream was suddenly gone.

We lost the replay, failed to win a league game for the rest of the season, were relegated and our decline began.

Following football is a stressful business with the old saying “it is not the despair that kills you it is the hope!” - so true.

All genuine football supporters throughout the football pyramid will say it and that Wembley trip summed it up.

Fast forward to last Sunday’s epic 3-2 victory which ended three decades of decline.

Sadly, my dad who had watched them from the 1940’s is no longer with us, but I was with my brother Paul in the press box to taste the joy of victory – even seasoned journalists in the press centre were in floods of tears.

It was amazing.

Having watched Latics over 1,000 times since 1966 it would be an understatement to say this was one of our memorable moments – up there with Neil Redfearn’s last minute Division 2 title-winning penalty, and the “great escape” a 4-3 victory over Southampton to keep us in the Premier League one more year.

It is often forgotten in this top-heavy Premier League television orientated age that every genuine fan at whatever level feels the same passion about his or her club whether it is Real Madrid or a step 9 non-league side.

It is incredibly tribal and we will all retain our memories of players, goals, saves and bad refereeing decisions until old age.

But Sunday was something special!

Oldham Athletic as a club and fan base (indeed were often a favourite second club for others) are quite guarded in our expectations.

Even at our peak we have never had any sense of entitlement to rise much loftier heights, so how the game enfolded was off the scale.

Most of us didn’t even dare to dream when we went 3-2 up, and we all looked nervously at the Wembley stadium clocks.

Even after the final whistle as the celebrations began, we all thought we were dreaming; that we would wake up and start planning our trip to Truro next season and being everyone else’s cup final when we played at home.

This was Oldham after all and we do like to moan about our lot so it couldn’t really be happening, could it?

It was real though – we had won the three playoff games and our perceived gap year spent going around new grounds (which we extended to three years!) was over.

We don’t have to spend any more time with our nose pressed against the EFL office’s window watching the league fixtures come out and the League Cup first round draw being publicised without us.

We will no longer suffer the ignominy of needing to win a qualifying match just to go into the

FA Cup first round “proper”.

Now we will even gladly participate in the English Football League Trophy!

Oldham Athletic is at its very foundation a family orientated club, and two families are at the forefront who have turned our fortunes and sparked off this revival.

CEO Darren Royle, the most courteous, self-effacing administrator in football pulled together the sale which rescued a club founded in 1895 when he invited the Rothwell’s in three years ago.

He can now proudly say has presided over Oldham’s first Wembley win, something his dad Joe had achieved with other clubs, notably Everton.

And of course, we have our financial saviours the Rothwell’s – led by the charismatic Frank who saved the club from bankruptcy, took the supporters to his heart and in return was there amongst the crowds every matchday.

The crowd worships him.

Nor should we forget the huge contribution made behind the scenes by his wife Judith, son Luke and daughter Su who epitomise all that is sacred in the club and town.

Behind the warm feelings and joie de vivre they generate they have a shrewdness and business acumen which never should be underestimated.

They too will lead the club from the front and from strength to strength in the coming years.

The community ethos is embodied by all the club staff.

There is also a wonderful army of volunteers at Boundary Park who have given everything to make the cogs in the wheel turn more effectively.

This was epitomised by the eponymous Roy Butterworth who received a medal for more than 60 years dedication during the season; they all form a significant part of this upward journey.

And so, to the team, coaching staff and manager Micky Mellon, who, incidentally, is only the third Latics manager, (the other two being Jimmy Frizzell and Joe Royle of course), to win promotion with Oldham in the past 60 years.

Their unbelievable performance in the final is well documented and Micky doesn’t need me to sing his praises for the decisions he made.

His record across football speaks for itself.

The archetypal Glaswegian football manager seemed after the final to modestly embody the old principle of meeting triumph and disaster and treating both imposters just the same – celebrating success calmly whilst keeping his feet on the ground.

This augurs well.

At last year’s supporter’s forum, he had the guts to tell them that the negativity in matches by some parts of the crowd at home was actually helping our opponents - and the positive atmosphere around the ground even on tough days improved dramatically this season clearly attributable to that.

Hopefully we can all get behind him going forward

So here we are in celebratory mood.

I am sure many of us would welcome a calm League Two campaign next season, but with Oldham you never know.

One final thought.

I know Mark Hughes (as above and for the benefit of younger supporters the Wembley goal scorer for Man Utd back in 94) as a decent and honest man, so hopefully he will forgive me for pointing out the karma that next season Oldham Athletic will proudly take their place in the Football League at the expense of Carlisle United, the team he currently manages.

That will not remove the hurt that is still there, and I never got to sing Abide with Me with my dad at the 1994 FA Cup Final, but it is something to hold onto."

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